Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have signed four-year Major League left-handed pitcher Brett Oberholtzer for the 2018 season.

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about Somerset,” said Oberholtzer. “This was the best chance for me to not only get better, but also continue my career.”

Oberholtzer enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The 6’1” southpaw has four years of service in the Majors, including three with the Houston Astros (2013-15) and one split between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2016). In his first season with the Astros, Oberholtzer posted four wins and a 2.76 ERA over 13 games (10 starts) with two complete games and one shutout. Additionally, he only walked 13 batters over 71.2 innings of work.

The Christiana, Delaware native took over as a full-time starting pitcher for the Astros the next season, striking out 94 batters against just 28 walks over 24 starts. He later made eight starts for Houston in 2015 before making 37 combined appearances (two starts) for the Phillies and Angels in 2016. He has won 14 games with a 4.36 ERA and 220 strikeouts over 324 innings pitched in his four seasons in the big leagues.

“We are happy to add a polished veteran starting pitcher to our staff in Brett Oberholtzer,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Brett knows how to pitch and possesses a great understanding of what he is trying to do to his opponent. He is still very young, but brings so much valuable experience to our club. Oberholtzer is a strike-thrower with the attractive combination of high strikeout and low walk totals. The defense will love to play behind the guy and we look forward to working alongside him as well.”

Oberholtzer made 24 starts for Triple-A Buffalo (Toronto Blue Jays) last year. He has pitched exclusively at either the Major League or Triple-A level in each of the past five seasons. The Seminole Community College alum is 55-53 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 708 strikeouts over nine seasons of minor league baseball.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.